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  1. #1
    wendibird22's Avatar
    wendibird22 is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Default And yet another dog question...one meal a day or two?

    Curious how often you feed your dog. With our last dog, a springer spaniel of about 55lbs, we fed him twice a day. Some days he wouldn't eat breakfast and it would sit there until dinner and we'd top it off and he'd chow down. That was usually on a hot summer day. Most days he always ate those 2 meals. We now have 1-2yr old rescue pup who is about 65lb. We started the same way, feeding him 2 meals a day, but find he almost never eats breakfast. Mostly because he follows me around like he's attached to me like velcro and M-F I'm busy getting ready for work so if I put food in his bowl and don't hang around the kitchen, it just sits there uneaten because he's off being by my side. So we switched to just dinner feeding. But now I'm finding that he seems likes he's starving and scarfs it down immediately.

    Do you do 1 or 2 meals a day? Is there a downside to me just feeding him at dinner and him being very hungry?
    Mom to two amazing DDs ('07 & '09) and a fur baby.

    Gluten free since Nov '11 after non-celiac gluten sensitive diagnosis. Have had great improvement or total elimination of: migraines, bloating/distention, heartburn, cystic acne, canker sores, bleeding gums, eczema on elbows, dry skin and scalp, muscle cramps, PMS, hair loss, heart palpitations, fatigue. I'm amazed.

  2. #2
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    2 meals a day. Morning serving is rarely gone, but sometimes it is and sometimes nibbled. I have hungrier days, too, so who knows.

    It is more habit at this point with me as a SAHM, but I had several reasons in the past. One, is that I do not want the dog tripping me and begging for food as soon as I walk in the door because of hunger. Two, when I was working there were a lot of unexpected late nights and I didn't need it hanging over my head that the dog had not eaten all day. Three, we used to have rescues who came to us very malnourished and always seem to scarf down food as if it was the only chance to eat and even when not very hungry. I felt like feeding 2x day helped with that trust that feeding happened regularly. (That, and per vet, we put a tennis ball in the bowl to slow down the eating so they would have to eat around it).

  3. #3
    doberbrat is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    I only feed 1x a day. My original cocker had issues w/acid buildup so when he was alive, I fed a small meal in the am and a larger meal in the pm. When he died, I switched to 1 meal a day and have fed that way since unless I need to make a change. Super small dogs, puppies and sometimes elderly dogs need to eat more often.

    My dogs act like they're starving no matter how often I feed them If they dont eat a meal, its considered an emergency and an urgent trip to the vet.
    dd1 10/05
    dd2 11/09
    and ... a mini poodle!

  4. #4
    Kindra178 is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    The trend is definitely 2 meals a day, smaller servings.

    My dog would eat 93 cups of dog food if she was allowed. She's starving all the time.

  5. #5
    JBaxter's Avatar
    JBaxter is offline Pink Diamond level (15,000+ posts)
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    I fill their bowls when they are empty. Every day or so. They are yorkies and eat Fromm beef kibble If I switch to another kind or flavor it will sit for 2 or 3 days and they just look at me like Im mean or something. One is 7lbs one hovers near 9lbs I occasionally give them canned food maybe once a week or so.
    Jeana, Momma to 4 fantastic sons

    Everything happens for a reason, sometimes the reason is you're stupid and make bad decisions

  6. #6
    klwa is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    I was told years ago to feed twice a day. And never to leave food sitting. If it isn't eaten in 15 minutes, they get to wait until the next meal. I don't do this, but that's what we were told in order to keep pups from getting overweight.

    I feed the dogs first thing in the morning before I leave for work. When I go to bed, I check to see if they've eaten. If they have, they get more, if they haven't they get what they already have until morning.
    -Kris
    DS (9/05)
    DD (8/08)
    DD (9/12)

  7. #7
    trcy is offline Ruby level (4000+ posts)
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    I feed twice a day. Food is usually gone within minutes.

    Sent from my Pixel 2 using Baby Bargains mobile app
    DD 12/10
    DS 10/15

  8. #8
    div_0305 is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    We have a puppy, so probably not very helpful here. We feed 3 times/day right now, but she sometimes will only eat at dinner, and other times, 2 or all 3 meals. Since she's not food motivated, we leave the food out until bedtime to encourage her to eat when she's hungry. If she were overweight or showing signs of becoming overweight, then we'd follow the guidelines of taking the food away after 15 min. No one told us to feed once a day when she's an adult.

  9. #9
    khalloc is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    I have a lab. We feed 2x a day. 1 cup each serving. She is about 65-70 lbs. She would eat 20 meals a day if we let her and she always is hungry. Some dogs arent as food motivated. We had a german shepard/mutt and she would hardly ever eat breakfast. Then DH would come home and she would be so excited to see him after work that she ran to her food bowl and ate her breakfast. I think to show him that she loved him!! Then she would eat dinner a bit later.

    1 meal a day seems kind of cruel I think. I would be hungry if I only ate once a day too!
    DD 11/2005
    DS 4/2008

  10. #10
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    When Maggie was alive and an only dog, she would eat twice a day. Then we got Max, who would eat twice a day with her. About a year or so ago, Max stopped eating breakfast, and Maggie would help herself to his share in addition to hers, because Max stopped eating breakfast. When she started declining around January of this year, she started leaving half of her breakfast along with all of Max’s breakfast, so we stopped serving him the first meal. Now that Maggie has passed, Max is just down to one meal a day. He doesn’t seem to be starving or anything, and I give him about a cup of dry food with wet food, water and salmon oil mixed in. Sometimes he’ll go for it right away, but more often than not it will sit for ten minutes before he decides to eat. He now always finishes his food.


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    Liz
    Proud mama to DS1: 2007
    and DS2:2010

    Life is too short to wear boring socks.

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